Dry Fire: A Novel by Catherine Lewis

From the Publisher

With a rush of adrenaline, this coming-of-age novel plunges into the world of a North Florida police force. The spotlight is on Abigail ("Fitz") Fitzpatrick, a female cop who is lesbian and rarely allowed to forget it, by either her male colleagues or the public in general. As the novel begins, Fitz, reared by nuns but a self-proclaimed "street addict," has burned out after eight years as a paramedic. Following the tragic death of a boy she couldn't save, she joins the police academy and enters the macho arena of police life.



The story carries us through "Rookie Daze," the grueling stage of training, and comes full circle in "Rhythm and Blues," when Fitz is a seasoned officer and trainer of rookies herself. Along the way she faces crucial decisions as love, ethics, and friendship collide. A recent breakup with a female lover, a police investigator, alters her perceptions, shaping the person she is to become. And Morelli, an appealing male colleague with a bucketful of problems, forces Fitz to test the limits of loyalty.



Fast-paced, original, funny, this novel recalls the early Joseph Wambaugh in its crackling authenticity. Stress, danger, professional integrity, and harassment are the issues as Fitz, in a voice that's unforgettable, tells us what it's like to be a police officer-as an insider, and an outsider as well.

Publishers Weekly

A lesbian rookie cop is the appealing heroine of this sizzling and authentic debut police procedural by a Florida panhandle police officer. When burned-out paramedic Abigail ``Fitz'' Fitzpatrick is accepted for police training, she is jilted by her lover, Makayla, a pioneering policewoman who is afraid their relationship will cost her a chance for hard-earned sergeant stripes. Guilt-ridden by her imagined failures as a paramedic, Fitz must prevail against harassment inspired by her sexual orientation even as she struggles to prove herself as a cop and to find personal fulfillment and self-esteem. Fitz also battles confused sexual feelings for male fellow rookie and world-class screw-up Morelli, whose shaky marriage is overburdened by an infant daughter recovering from brain surgery. Running a gauntlet of stereotypically flawed fellow cops who seem obsessed with her undoing, Fitz survives police academy only to confront a perverted senior officer who demands a sexual favor in exchange for a successful evaluation. After Morelli's marriage falls apart when the baby dies, the grieving cop, in an alcohol-induced rage, uses excessive force during the traffic arrest of a dope dealer, forcing Fitz to choose between her integrity and a misplaced friendship. Adroitly written, tingling with the dangers of the streets and the festering atmosphere of tawdry domestic situations, this engrossing novel introduces a promising and remarkably sensitive new voice. (Feb.)

BookList

Lewis, a police officer and former paramedic, writes a jolting, provocative first novel from an insider's perspective. Following cop Abigail Fitzgerald from her physically harrowing, mentally exhausting days in police training through the challenging demands of being a rookie cop and the stressful conditions of full-time police work, the book rings with authenticity. Lewis does a fine job of describing real-life cop dilemmas and dramas and the myriad ways cops banter, tease, and insult each other to provide support in the face of relentless pressures and near-constant danger. But it's Lewis' descriptions of Abigail's personal life and feelings that make the strongest impact on the reader. Abby is a lesbian, which makes being a cop much tougher. It means fighting off unwelcome advances from male cops who want to "cure" her, dealing with a painful estrangement from her lover caused by cop-shop politics, and confronting the always-present antigay prejudices. Despite Abby's tough, spirited exterior, there's a heartwrenching vulnerability about this woman that is most obvious when she's dealing with the raw pain of a rape victim, lending support to a fellow cop whose job is in jeopardy, or grieving over a murder victim. Moving, gritty, funny, and honest, this story establishes Lewis as a first-rate new writer with plenty of promise. Graphic love scenes may deter some readers, but this outstanding novel deserves to be in most mystery collections.

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